Abraj Al Bait Towers
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This article contains information about a building currently under construction. It may contain information of a speculative nature, and the content may change dramatically and frequently as construction progresses and new information becomes available. |
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| Abraj Al Bait Towers | |
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| Information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Mecca, Saudi Arabia |
| Status | Under construction |
| Groundbreaking | 2004 |
| Estimated completion | 2009 |
| Height | |
| Antenna/Spire | 577 m (1,893 ft) (est.)[citation needed] |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 76 |
| Companies | |
| Architect | Dar Al-Handasah Architects |
| Contractor | Saudi Binladin Group |
The Abraj Al Bait Towers is a building complex under construction in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Upon completion, the tallest tower in the complex would stand as the tallest building in Saudi Arabia and one of the tallest buildings in the world with a planned height of 577 m (1,893 ft).[1] If all seven towers are grouped together as one building, the structure would have the largest floor area of any structure in the world with 15,600,000 square feet (1,450,000 m²) of floorspace. This is more than 4,000,000 square feet (370,000 m²) larger than Aalsmeer Flower Auction in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands, which is the current world record holder.[2] The entire project is estimated to be completed in 2009.
The site of the complex is located across the street to the south from an entrance to the Masjid al Haram, which houses the Kaaba, the holiest site in Islam. In order to start construction, the historic Ottoman Ajyad Fortress had to be first completely demolished.[3] To accommodate worshipers who visit the Kaaba, the Abraj Al Bait Towers will have a large prayer room capable of holding nearly four thousand people. The tallest tower in the complex will also contain a five-star hotel to help provide lodging for the over two million pilgrims who travel to Mecca annually to participate in hajj.
In addition, the Abraj Al Bait Towers will have a four-story shopping mall and a parking garage capable of holding over eight hundred vehicles. Residential towers will house permanent residents while two heliports and a conference center are to accommodate business travelers. In total, up to 65,000 people would be housed inside the towers.[citation needed]
The project will use four clock faces for each side of the Hotel tower, including 2 main clocks that are 80 meters high 65 meters wide. The other two clocks will be located 65 meters high, with an approximate width of 34 meters. The highest clock will be located 380 meters high, which would make it the world's highest clock.[citation needed]
[edit] Towers
| Tower | Height | Floors | Completion | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel Tower | 577 m (1,893 ft)[citation needed] | 76 | 2008 | Under construction |
| Hajar | 260 m (853 ft)[citation needed] | 48 | 2008 | Under construction |
| ZamZam | 260 m (853 ft)[citation needed] | 48 | 2006 | Completed |
| Maqam | 240 m (787 ft)[citation needed] | ?? | 2008[citation needed] | Under construction |
| Sarah | 240 m (787 ft)[citation needed] | ?? | 2008[citation needed] | Under construction |
| Marwah | 240 m (787 ft)[citation needed] | ?? | 2006[citation needed] | Under construction |
| Safa | 240 m (787 ft)[citation needed] | ?? | 2007[citation needed] | Under construction |
[edit] References
- ^ MECCA | Abraj Al-Bait Towers | 1,952' Pinnacle / 1,509' Roof | 76 FLOORS - SkyscraperPage Forum
- ^ ABC News: Mecca's Hallowed Skyline Transformed
- ^ Article from the Brunei Times by Pakinam Amer from Sunday, April 15, 2007, naming the demolished fortress and the new building in the same sentence
[edit] External links
- abrajalbait.com - Official Website
- Skyscrapers.cn: Al Bait Towers (Chinese w/ pictures)
- Entry on Emporis
- SkyscraperPage.com: Abraj Al Bait Towers
